[richard51]

I stack 2 neodymium rectangular magnets n35 with blutak on the exterior cups near the dynamic drivers but not directly on the driver, of my hybrid electro-acoustic and dynamic drivers Akg K 340, already modded, and I listen more clear bass , clearer airier sound and more definite bass, better voices... I will not dare to open it to place them at the interior though... The results are way desirable for me....

I must added that my Akg are already modded with sorbothane for damping, agate+shungite,plastic grid mods, they were already TOTL, with the magnets now, I am short of words...I must add that a non modify AKG will perhaps be less affected than my already modified AKG by this magnets mods., and remember that my audio system is entirely treated against vibrations and the electrical grid of my house cleaned against EMI from the streetpost to the headphone,then my sensible system confirm what Slater said in his thread about these magnets mods...

Update: Definitely better, I listen to an indian cd of sarod and sitar,very difficult music to reproduce with the nuances and the nuances are way more there now, without any negative impact at all....The tabla is more gorgeous...I had the impression that even the imaging is better...AKG K 340 are top imaging headphones,modded they kill any of my upgrade urge, I dont even listen to my 2 Stax anymore.. Goddam! i am happy to have stumble upon this thread :

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/stacking-magnets.839878/

Update2: Better integration of the 2 drivers....I think so,because before these 2 magnets mods, my Akg heavily damped and treated did not present to my conscious mind this associated incoherency between the 2 drivers that many reviewers speak about...Now I begin to figure out what they speaks about.... Even with my mods pair without the magnets there was a little residual incoherency unbeknownst to me now very much corrected....I think so...

 

[Baycode]

.... I will not dare to open it to place them at the interior though... The results are way desirable for me....

Hi Richard51 ! Thanks for the info! I have my K340 sitting in a drawer for a long time and your posts made me feel that I have to give more love to it (have to mod them for the 3rd time). My first two mods didnt deliver the sound that I am looking for... In addition after buying and successfully modding an AKG K240 Sextett (MP) I lost my interest in headphones (they are damn good sounding).

Can you please shoot some photos of the mods when you open your K340? I really like to see them in order to follow your path. Thanks so much for bringing attention to K340 ! Cheers!

 

[richard51]

Hi Richard51 ! Thanks for the info! I have my K340 sitting in a drawer for a long time and your posts made me feel that I have to give more love to it (have to mod them for the 3rd time). My first two mods didnt deliver the sound that I am looking for... In addition after buying and successfully modding an AKG K240 Sextett (MP) I lost my interest in headphones (they are damn good sounding).

Can you please shoot some photos of the mods when you open your K340? I really like to see them in order to follow your path. Thanks so much for bringing attention to K340 ! Cheers!

My dear friend I dont want to open them for another times,because I had already open them too much in the past, they are fragile...I apologize...But no need for that, it is simple to place sorbothane inside the headphone duro 70 self adhesive 1/10 inches,and to place sorb.1/4 inches duro 70. on the two headband holder to isolate one cup from the other... I think that you have already cut the plastic grid.... I place the magnets ,better with 2 pieces n52, glued with blutak on the center of the exterior cups...I must say that my other modifications are linked to the system itself, I place stones and crystals on all links of my audio system, headphones included, and I treated all the electrical grid....Impossible to explain it in one short text here,but all that contributes to the sound of my AKG...You cannot listen in your headphones what is not in your audio system... You must read also the Stax and sorbothane thread for ideas... and my own thread for the electrical grid treatment... I will answer your questions...Best regards to you...

 

[ProLoL]

The K340 bass heavy is on the way to me, hoping to be surprised as I'm already kinda impressed with the K240DF.

 

[Baycode]

After killing my first K340's dynamic drivers while re-cabling I was very upset and went on a vigorous search in the 2nd hand sales in my country. Luckily I have nailed a so-called bass heavy version K340 (grey dynamic drivers)! It arrived about a month ago I have replaced its flat and super old ear-pads with a Brainwavz Hybrid Memoryfoam Earpad and oh my... it sounds unbelievable!!! No comparison to the first one which were a bass light (or neutral version). I don't know why these grey driver K340's are called as bass heavy version :/ It sounds neutral to my ears. May be in comparison to the so-called bass light and neutral K340 variants this one has more bass and that's why its named as this...

I will not mod this K340 because it already sounds sublime!

I am listening to the K340 connected with my Darkvoice TH336SE (has Fitz Mod inside) OTL tube amp. K340 has unbelievable resolving power and detail. I can hear super tiny details through its electrostatic drivers. I can clearly distinguish the sound differences between different tubes with this headphone. Now I am preferring to use a Psvane CV181T Gold tube on the front and an RCA 6AS7G Military Spec (Strategic Air Command to be exact) tube on the back of my TH336 SE amp.

My only wish is that I would like to hear detail on the bass section as well... Anyway, high region detail, separation, holographic presentation, all these aspects are better than my K240 Sextett (Mid production). K240 Sextett is also great for these mentioned aspects (its better than a K7XX for example), but this K340, oh my... its great! K240 Sextett excels on the bass and mid bass sections. Also K240 Sextett sounds smoother on the high region which may be preferable for female vocals.

I love both K240 Sextett and K340 for different types of music. Both are now my top full sized HP's. IMO they are both better than a K7XX in many ways which I also own. I love them better than Beyerdynamic DT150 and Fidelio X2. These old AKG gems are really amazing!

 

[ProLoL]

The bass heavy K340 is amazing! really organic and detailed at the same time.
My only problem with them is the sound stage though the depth is great.

PS: seems like my Audio GD R2R 11 is claustrophobic asf.

 

[Baycode]

Listening to Leonard Cohen through K340 right now... I am speachless...

Ps: Brainwavz hybrid earpads.

 

[GEK]

Listening to Leonard Cohen through K340 right now... I am speachless...

Ps: Brainwavz hybrid earpads.

Are those large or extra large earpads you got for the 340?

 

[Baycode]

Are those large or extra large earpads you got for the 340?

I am not aware of the different size options. I had these since their first introduction and haven't noticed any information about sizing.

Normally they do not fit on the outer ring of the K340. I have used my hot air gun to soften the edges of the earpads and then worked on it in order to get snapped on the headphone. The process were not painful but a little bit difficult.

EDIT: Just checked the Brainwavz website and seen the options... These were not in production when I had mine... So I guess mine is the standard version, not the XL. But an XL version might fit easier.

 

[jksoon]

I am not aware of the different size options. I had these since their first introduction and haven't noticed any information about sizing.

Normally they do not fit on the outer ring of the K340. I have used my hot air gun to soften the edges of the earpads and then worked on it in order to get snapped on the headphone. The process were not painful but a little bit difficult.

EDIT: Just checked the Brainwavz website and seen the options... These were not in production when I had mine... So I guess mine is the standard version, not the XL. But an XL version might fit easier.

Thanks Baycode,

I have stock pleather pads and velour ones on my newly acquired K340. I have the Bass heavy version (grey cups).

The stock pads definitely give me more bass and mids are bit more forward, but the highs are a bit too bright and peaky. The velour pad take care of some of the brightness without loosing detail, and smooths out the peaks, but the bass is a bit lean (even though I have the bass heavy versions).... The sound difference between these pads was more drastic than I expected.

I was looking for a hybrid pad, and I'm glad I found this posting. I'll be ordering the Hybrid pads. Hopefully I'll get the best attributes of both pads in one. It's nice to see that I can stretch them to fit, and thanks for posting pictures.

Been highly enjoying the K340 with velour pads. Better headphones than I expected.

 

[Baycode]

Thanks Baycode,

I have stock pleather pads and velour ones on my newly acquired K340. I have the Bass heavy version (grey cups).

The stock pads definitely give me more bass and mids are bit more forward, but the highs are a bit too bright and peaky. The velour pad take care of some of the brightness without loosing detail, and smooths out the peaks, but the bass is a bit lean (even though I have the bass heavy versions).... The sound difference between these pads was more drastic than I expected.

I was looking for a hybrid pad, and I'm glad I found this posting. I'll be ordering the Hybrid pads. Hopefully I'll get the best attributes of both pads in one. It's nice to see that I can stretch them to fit, and thanks for posting pictures.

Been highly enjoying the K340 with velour pads. Better headphones than I expected.

You're welcome. K340 with the hybrid Brainwavz earpads are my daily headphones since I received it. I absolutely love it ! Good luck!

 

[kid vic]

Thanks Baycode,

I have stock pleather pads and velour ones on my newly acquired K340. I have the Bass heavy version (grey cups).

The stock pads definitely give me more bass and mids are bit more forward, but the highs are a bit too bright and peaky. The velour pad take care of some of the brightness without loosing detail, and smooths out the peaks, but the bass is a bit lean (even though I have the bass heavy versions).... The sound difference between these pads was more drastic than I expected.

I was looking for a hybrid pad, and I'm glad I found this posting. I'll be ordering the Hybrid pads. Hopefully I'll get the best attributes of both pads in one. It's nice to see that I can stretch them to fit, and thanks for posting pictures.

Been highly enjoying the K340 with velour pads. Better headphones than I expected.

What do you mean by grey cups? Are you talking about the passive drivers under the elctret Tweeter?

 

[jksoon]

What do you mean by grey cups? Are you talking about the passive drivers under the elctret Tweeter?

Not the 5 passive radiators, but the back housings over the dynamic driver. Mine has 3 tiny holes. There's a picture of some with red housings with more venting on a previous page and there's word about some with black housings. Luckily I took a pic when I went to take a look.

This page has some with red housings:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/akg-k340-electrostatic-phones.412126/page-23

I think there was a discussion that the red or blacks are more neutral and the one I have is more bass heavy. If I am mistaken, can someone please correct me.

Here is the back of mine:

 

[kid vic]

Not the 5 passive radiators, but the back housings over the dynamic driver. Mine has 3 tiny holes. There's a picture of some with red housings with more venting on a previous page and there's word about some with black housings. Luckily I took a pic when I went to take a look.

This page has some with red housings:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/akg-k340-electrostatic-phones.412126/page-23

I think there was a discussion that the red or blacks are more neutral and the one I have is more bass heavy. If I am mistaken, can someone please correct me.

Here is the back of mine:

Interesting, I'll have to disassemble mine to find out .

 

[kid vic]

Apparently I'm bass-light. Anyone know a place to get them reterminated? Looking to get 4 pin xlr, alternatively the wiring +/- layout would be good .